Leon Draisaitl makes his thoughts on filling Connor McDavid – Source: Imagn

The Edmonton Oilers earned a big 5-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night, and star forward Leon Draisaitl made it clear he is ready to step up in Connor McDavid’s absence.

McDavid is expected to miss 2-3 weeks with an ankle injury suffered on Monday. In McDavid’s absence, Draisaitl scored two goals and added an assist to lead Edmonton to victory. After the game, Draisaitl made it clear he is prepared to take on a leadership role and fill the void left by McDavid’s injury.

“Yeah, I mean, I think a little bit, you know, obviously we have different leaders in this group, and we’re all looking to contribute in our own way.” Draisaitl said.

“And obviously, you know, when he’s out puts a little bit more pressure on me, but I love those situations, and I think I’ve always been good at at stepping up in those moments.” he added.

"To play in the NHL after a couple months after having been off for a full year, that seems nearly impossible. He's just inching closer & closer to making a career out of this."

Leon Draisaitl on Noah Philp's debut with the #Oilers vs. Nashville.@Enterprise | #LetsGoOilers pic.twitter.com/5UezqkIagg

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 1, 2024

Draisaitl acknowledged that McDavid can’t be replaced, but said the team needs to collectively step up.

When asked if the team took the necessary steps to compensate, Draisaitl again stressed the importance of everyone stepping up together. He noted that while the team will never fully make up for losing the “best player in the world,” McDavid’s absence creates opportunities for others.

Leon Draisaitl on his linemates performance

Leon Draisaitl discussed the performance of his linemates, Viktor Arvidsson and Vasily Podkolzin. Draisaitl has been teaming up with the two wingers for a couple of games and it looks like they’re clicking well together.

“With the exception of last game (a 6-1 loss to Columbus), the last four games have been really, really good,” Leon Draisaitl said (as per NHL.com).”I think we’re connecting. We’re creating a lot of looks. I think all three of us would like to finish a little bit better. I think there’s a lot of looks that can be put in the net, but I think we’re finding each other. We’re reading off each other. I’ve really enjoyed playing with them.”

Leon Draisaiti and his linemates will face their provincial rivals, the Calgary Flames, in their upcoming game on Sunday.